In wake of tragic stabbing cameras to be installed in public housing

As the Amsterdam News went to press Wednesday, it was announced that the city will begin security camera installation at Boulevard Houses and five more housing developments around Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens.

Standing with City Comptroller Scott Stringer, alongside New York City Housing Authority chair Shola Olatoye, City Councilmember Inez Barron and public housing residents in East New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio stated that in the wake of the tragic stabbing death of 6-year-old Prince Joshua Avitto, he would review the steps required to approve funds for camera installations and expedite the process to complete the installation of cameras at 49 developments before the end of 2014.

“The installation work that begins today is the result of a highly collaborative process among City Hall, NYCHA and the comptroller’s office,” said the mayor. “It comes to show that when there is a will, there is a way. The safety and security of families living in public housing is a priority for my administration, and we will continue to work to find ways to give NYCHA residents the quality of life they deserve.”

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams said, “I appreciate that the de Blasio administration has stepped up to show leadership for the future of our residents in public housing. For years, NYCHA has fallen short of its commitment to its tenants, leaving too many in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. The installation of security cameras at Boulevard Houses, just a week after the fatal stabbing of Prince, is far more than a symbolic act. In fact, the approval of over 90 security camera contracts in less than a week shows the City’s commitment to safety. We need to approach other issues facing NYCHA developments with the same energy, urgency and expediency.”

Memorial for Prince Joshua Avitto outside his home in East New York

“I want to thank Mayor de Blasio for prioritizing the expansion of cameras at NYCHA housing throughout the five boroughs,” said Stringer. “My office worked hand-in-hand with the administration to ensure that this process moved forward without further delay. The more than 400,000 New Yorkers who call NYCHA home deserve to feel safe. This is a step in the right direction, and I look forward to continuing to work with the mayor, my colleagues in government and NYCHA residents to improve public safety and quality of life in their communities.”

“We are committed to doing things differently, resetting our relationships and becoming a more transparent, next generation NYCHA,” said Olatoye. “As we move forward now to install these cameras with a more efficient and timelier public process, thanks to Mayor de Blasio and Comptroller Stringer, as well as our own revised capital programs, we’re able to do even more for our residents. And that’s what matters most.”

“Security cameras are a common sense solution to enhance security and keep the 600,000 New Yorkers who live in public housing safe,” said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “I thank the de Blasio administration and Comptroller Stringer for their swift action to expedite camera installations at Boulevard Houses and dozens of housing developments across the city and applaud my colleagues in government for working together to improve quality of life for NYCHA residents.”